(CLACKAMAS, OR)—Fishery managers from Oregon and Washington adopted initial recreational spring Chinook seasons on the Columbia River during a joint state hearing today, February 19, 2026.
Effective March 1 (downstream of Bonneville Dam) and April 1 (upstream of Bonneville Dam), the following regulations will take the place of permanent rules for the mainstem Columbia River between Buoy 10 and the Oregon/Washington border.
Fishery performance and Chinook abundance will be monitored in season. Additional fishing days may be added depending on in-season run updates and fishery performance. The upriver spring Chinook run size is typically updated in mid to late May.
Downstream of Bonneville Dam
Dates: Sunday, March 1 through Wednesday, April 8
Bag limit: Two adult hatchery salmonids (Chinook or steelhead) per day, but only one may be a Chinook. Shad may also be retained.
Open area: Buoy 10 line upstream to Beacon Rock (boat and bank) plus only bank angling from Beacon Rock upstream to the Bonneville Dam deadline. Legal upstream boat boundary defined as: a deadline marker on the Oregon bank (approximately four miles downstream from Bonneville Dam Powerhouse One) in a straight line through the western tip of Pierce Island to a deadline marker on the Washington bank at Beacon Rock.
Dates: Sunday, March 1 through Wednesday, April 8
Bag limit: Two adult hatchery salmonids (Chinook or steelhead) per day, but only one may be a Chinook. Shad may also be retained.
Open area: Buoy 10 line upstream to Beacon Rock (boat and bank) plus only bank angling from Beacon Rock upstream to the Bonneville Dam deadline. Legal upstream boat boundary defined as: a deadline marker on the Oregon bank (approximately four miles downstream from Bonneville Dam Powerhouse One) in a straight line through the western tip of Pierce Island to a deadline marker on the Washington bank at Beacon Rock.
Bonneville Dam to Oregon/Washington State Line (upstream of McNary Dam)
Dates: Wednesday, April 1 through Sunday April 26 and Saturday, May 2
Dates: Wednesday, April 1 through Sunday April 26 and Saturday, May 2
Bag limit: Two adult hatchery salmonids (Chinook or steelhead) per day, but only one may be a Chinook.
Open area: Tower Island power lines (approximately six miles downstream of The Dalles Dam) upstream to Oregon/Washington state line, plus the Oregon and Washington banks between Bonneville Dam and the Tower Island power lines.
Open area: Tower Island power lines (approximately six miles downstream of The Dalles Dam) upstream to Oregon/Washington state line, plus the Oregon and Washington banks between Bonneville Dam and the Tower Island power lines.
From March 1–June 15 on days when the mainstem Columbia River recreational fishery downstream of Bonneville Dam is open to retention of Chinook, the salmonid daily bag limit in Oregon and Washington Select Areas will be the same as mainstem Columbia River bag limits. On days when the mainstem Columbia River recreational fishery downstream of Bonneville Dam is closed to Chinook retention, the permanent salmonid bag limit regulations for Select Areas apply.
Fishing regulations can change in-season, and anglers should check the updates page for their zone before fishing, https://myodfw.com/articles/regulation-updates
Columbia River spring Chinook salmon fisheries are managed according to the management agreement between the states and the Columbia River Treaty tribes and by Endangered Species Act limitations.
“We are taking a conservative approach to these initial spring Chinook fisheries to protect ESA-listed upriver Chinook and stay within our conservation constraints,” said Tucker Jones, ODFW’s Ocean Salmon and Columbia River Program Manager. “We closely track actual performance of the fishery and will add additional opportunity if possible.”
Jones thanked Tribes, recreational anglers, commercial fishermen and others for their continued support of fish conservation and providing input on spring fishery decisions.
Two sturgeon retention days added in The Dalles Pool – Feb. 22 & Feb. 26
Fishery managers also added two additional sturgeon retention days for The Dalles Pool. The states are taking a precautionary approach to sturgeon harvest fisheries in the reservoirs upstream of Bonneville Dam in 2026. Sturgeon retention in The Dalles Pool fishery was initially opened for one day on Feb. 16. After assessing catch from that day, fishery managers determined that additional harvest opportunity could be provided.
Season: Sunday, Feb. 22 and Thursday, Feb. 26
Area: Mainstem Columbia River from The Dalles Dam to John Day Dam, and all adjacent tributaries
Daily bag limit: One sturgeon (applicable to any/all sturgeon retention fisheries)
Annual bag limit: Two fish (applicable to any/all sturgeon retention fisheries)
Legal size: 43-inch minimum and 54-inch maximum fork length. (Fork length is measured in a straight line from the tip of the nose to the fork in the caudal fin (tail) with the fish laying on its side on a flat surface, with the tape measure/ruler positioned flat under the fish)
For more information on these decisions, see the Feb. 19, 2026 Winter Fact Sheet No.6 at https://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/OSCRP/CRM/fact_sheets.asp